Water heating apparatus



Aug. 16, 1937. E. T. BARRON WATER HEATING APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1935Z L m F 6 z 5 m n a 3 U H w r i:it}, :M 3 I 3% g; a A: WM M QQ 222 "o mwluw r FT F a INVENTOR 1'7 dwa z'dlfbwrronz M W ATTORNEY WITNESSESPatented Aug. 10, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE warns nm'rmcAPPARATUS mm '1'. Barron, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 14, 1935, Serial No. 11,133

9 Claims. (01. 231-19) This invention relates to improvements in waterheating apparatuses, and its objects are as followsz- First. to providean inexpensive mode of heating water for domestic and other purposes,according to which any ordinary oil burner can be operated for a shortperiod to quickly heat the water in the hot-water tank, and that withoutappreciably affecting the temperature .of the rooms which are heated bythe furnace into which the oil burner is directed.

Second, to accomplish the foregoing purpose by connecting the hot-watertank with a coil in the fire pot of the furnace, there being anarrangement of valves which can be. closed so as to confine the forcedcirculation of a pump to the coil and tankfor the rapid heating of thewater in the tank without stopping the convective circulation of waterin the riser and return pipes of the house heating system.

Third. to use the same arrangement of valves for preventing over-heatingof the water in the tank as when the oil burner is normally operated forheating the house. said valves at that time being opened so that thewater from the loregoing coil can be sent to the riser aswell as to thetank.

Fourth, to not only divide the hot-water tank into compartments as inthe patent to E. T. Barron for Hot-water tank, No. 1,581,907 of April20, 1926, but also to make a water temperature-controlled switch,commonly called an aquastat, subject to control by the temperature of acombination of the compartments so that the aquastat will open and closea connected heating circuit only as the water tank is completely filledwith or completely exhausted of hot water.

Fifth, to shield the foregoing aquastat by locating it in ashunt pipewhich contains water more directly common to the tank than to the inletpipe from the city main, this arrangement making it possible for waterto flow into the house system from the city main without affecting theaquastat until all of the hot water is discharged from the tank.

Sixth, to provide duplicate modes of heating the water in the hot-watertank, said modes consisting of the foregoing oil burner and of anelectrical heater, the electrical heater being supplemental to the oilburner as far as heating the water in the tank is concerned when the oilburner is principally used for heating the house heating system, theaquastat controlling only the oil burner and force pump motors when theoil burner is used for heating water in the tank-at which time theelectrical heater is out of circuit. and controlling only the electricalheater when connected in circuit, there being a room thermostat for thenindependently controlling said motors.

Seventh, to control the oil burner'by means of the valves for theoutlets from the compartments of the hot-water tank when the oil burneris intentionally used for the main purpose of heating the water in saidtank, the manner of regulation of said valves, that is'to say the mannerin which they are adjusted to open and closed positions, determining howsoon the associated aquastat shall open the oil burner circuit and,consequently, determine how long the oil burner shall operate for anygiven period of time.

In the drawing the single view shows the improved apparatus partly insection and in elevation.

In carrying out the invention use is made of an ordinary furnace l whichis water-jacketed at 2, has a fire pot 3, at least one riser l andreturn pipe 5, as well as an oil burner 6, as illustrated in theco-pending application for patent, for Furnace attachment filed by E. T.Barron, June 23, 1934, Serial No. 732,167. A copper or other c il I ofhigh conductivity is located in the fire-pot 3 as in said application,but instead of the forced circulation set up through it by the pump Iwhich is driven by the motor 9, also as in the application, theforce-feed and coil are used to quickly heat the water in the hot-watertank without appreciably affecting the room-temperature.

This is the beginning of the present invention, and its details involvethe following structure:

The central intake of the pump 8 includes a pipe I which is connected toa pipe I I in turn respectiveLv connected with the elbow I2 of thereturn pipe and the feed pipe l3 from the city main (not shown). Thepipe has valves I4, l5 connected in it, one on each side of the place ofconnection of the pipe Ill. The valve H is one of a pair of valvespreviously called an arrangement of valves for the purpose of confiningthe force-feed of the pump 8 to the coil I and hotwater tank.

The other valve l6 of the foregoing arrange and the place of connectionof acoil' riser l8.

This riser leads from the upper end of the coil I. A pipe 20 leads fromthe discharge side of the pump 8 to the lower end or the coil.

A valve 2.! in the service pipe I1, at a point between the place ofconnection of the riser I8 and the hot-water tank, provides for cuttingout the hot-water tank from the house heating system. The riser 4 of thelatter can then be supplied with hot water from the coil 1 by force ofthe pump 8, this, however, being the principle of the co-pendingapplication. I

The hot-water tank 22 is identical in its fundamental aspects with thetank in the foregoing Barron patent. The actual number of partitions isimmaterial, but for present purposes it is illustrated with partitions23, 24 and 25 which divide the tank into hot-water compartments 28, 21,28 and 29. Heating means 30, here shown in the form of an electricalheater, is so associated with a pipe 8| that when it is operated thecompartments of the tank 22 will become stored with hot water. For thispurpose the extremitiesof the pipe 3| are connected with thecompartments 28 and 28 respectively. The compartments have openings 22in staggered relationship. The top of the tank is connected with theservice pipe l1 by means of a pipe 88. The bottom of the tank isconnected with the feed pipe It by means ofa pipe 24. This ends thesimilarity of the tank 22 with the tank in the patent.

Each of the compartments 21, 28, and 28 has a valve-controlled outlet38, the respective valves being designated 28, I1, and 88. It is desiredto state that these valves may be remotely controlled, for example bymeans of chains which will be coupled with the various valves andtrained over rollers to the bath room, kitchen and other points. Themanner of applying the chain is, however, so

obvious, that specific illustration is regarded as unnecessary. Thesevalves are connected by a common pipe 88. At its lower endthis pipe isconnected near the bottom of the compartment 28 by a pipe 48. At itsupper end the pipe 88 is connected with what has been called a shuntpipe The term is used collectively for a system of by-pass piping, thetop of the system being in communication with the upper part of thecompartment 21, the bottom of the system with slow point of thecompartment 28, all as clearly shown in the drawing. V

A water temperature-controlled switch or aquastat 42 is either connecteddirectly into the top of the shunt pipe 4i. or as is more commonly donewith the known aquastat is simply secured to the outside of the pipe.The aquastat and a room thermostat" (as well as the heating coil 88) areparts of an electrical system which is described as follows:-

A main wire 44 from a source of current has branches 48, 48 respectivelyleading to oneside of the 'aquastat 42 and thermostat 43; The other sideof each of these devices is connected by means of wires 41, 48 with theterminals 40, 88 of a double-throw switch 8|. One of the switch pivotsis connected by means of a wire 82 with one side of the coil 80, theother side of the coil being connected with another main wire 88 leadingfrom the source of current.

The other switch pivot has wire connections 84, 88 and 88 with one sideof the respective oil burner motor 8 and pump motor 8, the other sidesof these motors being connected at 81, 88 and 88 with the main wire 88.Theswitch terminal 48 is Joined by a cross connection 88 with anotherterminal ofthe switch 8i.

The operation is readily understood:--Inasmuch asthe foremost purpose ofthe invention is to quickly heat the water in the tank 22 by means ofthe oil burner 8 which aifords the cheaper of two modes provided, theswitch 5| is first thrown to the left. It can be seen, without tracingthe circuits in detail, that the aquastat 42, oil burner motor 6 andpump motor 9 are connected in circuit. The aquastat 42 is usually givena high setting, say 200 F., so that the circuit through it will not-beopened until this temperature is reached and exceeded. It is alsonecessary to close the valve arrangement i4, i8, seeing to it that thevalves I5, 2i are open.

This setting of the valves prevents appreciably affecting the roomtemperature. But some hot water will be delivered to the radiators byway of the'riser 4 because the convective action from the water jacket 2is not stopped by the closing of the valves l4, l8. ,Thus it ispossibleto keep the radiators warm, although most of the heat is transferredtothe water in the coil 1 because of the high conductivity of the'materlalof the coil. The water in the tank 22 is thus heated quickly, and it isnot necessary to run the burner 8 very long to accomplish that purpose.

The period of operation of the oil burner 8 depends on how much hotwater is desired, and the requirement of hot water is regulated by thevalves 38, 31, and 88. When the valves 28,11, and 88 are open the topcompartment 28 only will be heated before the hot water reaches theaquastat structure 42 and causes it to open the circuit.

When valve 38 is closed and valves 81, 28 are opened, the two topcompartments 28, 21 will become heated before the hot water will reachthe aquastat 42 and cause it to open the circuit. When valves 38 and 81are closed and valve 28 is "open the three compartments 28, 21 and 28will become heated before the hot water reaches the aquastat 42 to causecircuit-opening, and when all three valves are closed the entire tankwill become heated before the hot water will reach .the aquastat 42 andagain cause opening of the circuit. I

From what has been stated it must be clear, first that the oil burner 8will operatecnly as long as required by the setting of the valves 88, 81and 38. If all valves are open or, conceivably,

only the top valve 38, the oil burner 8 will be re-- quired to' operatebut a short time before the water in the compartment 28 becomes hotenough to cause the aquastat 42 to open the circuits of the two motors.Or if all of the valves be closed the oil burner will have to operatecorrespondingly longer before the aquastat 42 opens the circuits of thetwo motors. Second, the shunt pipe 41 shields the aquastat 42 from thecold water in the hot water upwardly, and because of the fact that theshunt pipe 4i is located to one side of the water current through the.tank, and further because of the'fact that the water in the shunt pipeis at city main pressure there is a reluctance of the water in the shuntpipe to mingle with the water in the tank. As a consequence all oi thehot water can be discharged, and it is not until approximately all ofthe hot water has been discharged that there is a sufficient temperaturedrop of the water in the shunt pipe to cause the aquastat 42 to againclose the burner and pump motor circuits.

vision of: the flow both to theleft and right where I the coil riser l 9joins the service pipe I! too much hot water is prevented fromaccumulating in the tank 22. The temperature of the water in the tank 22will notv exceed the temperature of the water in the heatingsystem,usually from 140 to 170, and if there should be a demand for hotterwater for domestic' uses it is only necessary to C1OSe th6 valvearrangement l4, 5 for a brief time when the result will be accomplished.and

that withoutinterfering with the'heating function of the water jacket!and the radiators (not .shown) connected in circuit with the riser 4 andreturn 5 1 While the foregoing opening of the valves I4,

l6 prevents over-heating of the water in the tank,

sight is not lost of the possibility of there not being enough hot'w'ater in the entire system to :keep the rooms warm during very'coldweather and at thersame time meet the demand of some households for hotwater for domestic purposes even if theburner 6 is forced to operatevirtually all 'of the time. Under such a condition the doubleathrow.switch 5l. ,is thrown to the right.

This "connects therelectrical heater 30 'in circuit sothatthe, waterinthe tank 22 is heated from,

this source independently of the coil 1' in the furnace. a I

The aquastat .42 now changes its function to controlling the electricalheater30 whereas before it controlled the oil burner-and force pump Thelatter arenow controlled by the room thermostat 43 which is connected incircuit therewith by the foregoing throwing of the switch. The room'temperature will control these motors, causing the oilburner to go "onand on as may be needed, but the electrical heater 30 will continue 1its operation independently inasmuch as it is'separately controlledby'thefaquastat 42. i a v. v

'In conclusion'it is desired to state that an electrically controlledgas heater" can be used in substitution of the heating coil 30. Thepurpose here would be of econ'omizing in the use of fuel, it beingcheaper generaliy, to burn gas than to consume electricity. The aquastat42 would exercise the same control over the gas heater as it does overthe coil 30.

1. In a water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having awater-jacket to which a house heating system is connected, said systemincluding a return pipe coupled with the jacket, said furnace having afirepot with a water coil therein and a burner; the combination of ahotwater tank and pipe connections joining its upper end to the top ofthe coil and its lower end to the return pipe, 2; motor-driven forcepump having an intake pipe joined with one of the pipe connections andhaving a discharge pipe joined with the lower end of the coil, and avalve arrangement in said pipe connections for confining the force-feedof the pump to the coil and hot-water tank to the exclusion of the househeating system.

2. Water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having a water-jacketto which the riser and return pipes of a house heating system areconnected and having a firepot with a water coil therein, and a burner;a hot-water tank, a service pipe connecting'the upper end of the tank tothe'riser, theservice pipe having joined i to it a coil riser which goesto the upper end of thecoil, a'feed pipe connecting the lower end of athe tank toth'e return pipe, a motor-driven force pump which has-"anintake joined with" the feed pipe and a discharge pipe joined to thelower end of the coil,-'a pair of valves'coupled in the service pipe onopposite sides of the coil riser, and a single valve coupled in thefced-pipebetween' the intake and return pipes, opening of all of saidvalves enabling common distribution of hot water under force-feed fromthe jacket and'coil to the heating syst'emand tankfclosing of that oneof the pair of valves on the tank side of the coil riser combining theconvective and force-feed of hot Water respectively'from the jacket andcoil to the house heating system, the opening of said valve and theclosure of the remaining valves confining the force-feed of hot waterfrom the "coil to the tank.-- e

.3. -Water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having awater-jacket to which theriser and return pipes of a house heatingsystem are connectedand having a firepot with a water coil "therein, anda burner; a hot-water tank, a service pipe joining the top of the tankwith the riser there being a coil-riser going from the service "pipe tothe upper end of the coil, a feed pipe joining the bottom of the tankwith the return pipe, a force-feed pump coupledin" between the feed pipeand bottom of the'coil, the'supply of hot water under force-feeddividing in'the service pipe and going to the tank and riser in which itaugments the convective supply of the waterjacket, and-individuallyoperative w'aterheating means'for the tank to'heat the water inthe tankindependently of the burner so as to insure an adequate supply in thetankin case the demand on the'heating system isexcessive.

4. Water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having a water-jacketto which a house heating system is connected and having a firepot with awater coil therein, and a motordriven burner to 'heatthe interior'ofthe'flrepc't'; a hot-water tank and pipe connections joining it totheends of the coil, an electricalfheater supplemental to the burnerfor'heating'the water in the tank, a 'watertemperature-controlled switchfunctioning first to "control the burner motor, second to control theelectrical heater, and electrical circuits embracing said switchtogether with the burner motor electrical heater when the hot Water tankis filled withcold water, there being a manual switch to which saidcircuits are joined so that when the switch is thrown into'therespective ones of two positions the temperature-controlled switch iscaused to perform its respective functions, the watertemperature-controlled switch functioning to open the circuits to theburner motor or the electric heater when the temperature of the waterreaches a predetermined degree.

5. Water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having a water-jacketto which a house heating system is connected and having a firepot with awater coil therein, and a motordriven burner to heat the interior of thefirepot; a hot-water tank and pipe connections joining it to the ends ofthe coil, and electrical heater supplemental to the burner for heatingthe water in the tank, a water temperaturecontrolled switch functioningfirst to control the burner motor, second to control the electrical whenthe hot water tank is filled with cold water, there being a manual.switch to which said circuits are joined so thatwhen the switch isthrown into the respective ones of two positions the temperatureccntrolled' switch is caused to perform its respective functions; and aroomtemperature thermostat. which is thrown into circuit toindependently control the burner motor when the manual switch ispositioned to cut the temperature switch out of controlling said motor,the water temperature-controlled switch functioningto open the circuitsto the. burner motor or the electric heater when the temperature of thewater reaches a predetermined degree.

'6. -Water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having awater-jacket to which a house heating system is connected and having afirepot with a water-coil therein, and a motor-driven burner to heat theinterior oithe flrepot; a hotwater tank and pipe connections'joined tothe ends of the coil andtank,, piping branching out from the sides ofthe tank-and communicating with thelapproximate bottom thereof sons toby-pass the water, a water temperature-controlled switchrassociated withsaid. pip said switch being connected in a" circuit which embraces theburner motor, and at least one valve in said pipin wblchcan be opened tomake the switch subject to the'tank water temperature and so placetheburner motor under control of said switch, the closing oi'the valvesuspendingthe controlling function citthe switch. 7

7. Water heating apparatus. consisting of a furnace having awaterejacket to which a house heating system is connected and having afirepot with a water coll therein, anda motor-driven burner to heat theinterior of the flrepot; a 'hotwater tank and pipe connections joined tothe endsofthecoilandtank, said tank'havingpartitlons dividing it intosuperposed plural communicating compartments, piping branching out fromthe sides of the tank placing the various compartments in communication1 with each other and with the approximate bottom of the tank'so as tobypass the water, ,a water temperature-controlled switch associated withthe pip l. said switch being connected in a circuit which embraces theburner, motor, and valves in the compartment connections of the pipingbevalves consequently determining how long ing adjustable to acomllnation of open and closed positions in order to control how soon thwater temperature shall aifect aid switch, said the burner motor shalloperate for a given period of time. v i

8. Water heating apparatus consisting of a furnace having a water jacketto which a house heating system is connected and having a ilrepot with awater coil therein. and a motor-driven burner to beat the interior ofthe firepot; and a hot-water tank and pipe connections joiningitbothtotheheatingsystemandtotheendsoi the coil, said pipe connectionsincluding an inlet pipe'from a city main and'rservlce pipe to housefaucets, a water temperature-controlled switch associated with the tankand being connected ina circuit which'embraces the burner .motor, and ashunt pipe placing the side or the tank in communication with itsapproximate bottom to contain watermoredirectly commontothetankthantosaidinle'tpipetherebyto shieldsaid switch. said switchbeing attached to that part of the shunt pipe which contains water at[higher than thelower portionsotthetanksoasnottocloaethemotor with the,attached switch is discharged fromthe tank and service-pipe bythe'opcning of a faucet.

9. Water heating apparatus ct-a hot-water tank which: haspartitionsdividing it into a plurality of superposed communicating said pipingwhich will at a'hlgher, temperaturethanthelow'erpoitlonsotthetank,

and valves in said vpiping which may be so regulated that one or more ofthe compartments are filled with hot water Iromthe top down before thehot water reacha that part. of the riping where-the switch is located tocause'said switchtoopenthecircuit.v 1 l 7 EDWARD '1. BARRON.

. circuit until the hot'water which last a level compartments, pipingconnecting the virtual extremities oi'thetankandhavingheatingmeans 1associated therewith so astto heat the water in

